Grading machine



V4 All 2 sheets-sheet 1.l

Patented Deo. 21, 1886.

A.I"].`0RN'EYS.-

J. USAGE. GRADING MACHINE.

WITNES ES 2 (No Model.)

(No Model.) 2 sheets-sheen 2. I

.1.0. SAGE. GRADING MACHINE., No. 354,745. Patented Deo. 21, 1886.

WITNESSBS: I I' mllrmmon:

ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES ,PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN c. SAGE, on GAINEsvILLE, GEORGIA.

GRADING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 354,745, dated December 21,1886.

Application filed March 23. 1886. Serial No. 196,255. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, JOHN C. SAGE, a citi- .zen of the United States, residing at Gainesville, in the county of Hall and State of Georgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grading-Machines, of which the following is a description.

My invention consists in the improved construction, arrangement, and combination of parts of a grading-machine, which is especially designed for use in widening the sides of cuts through which a line of railway passes, as will be hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the annexed drawingsfFigure 1 is au end view, partly in section, of my improved grading-machine. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a perspective detail view of one of the double scoops. Fig. 4 is a top view of the adjacent ends of two cars as they appear whenstanding on a curve in the maintrack; and Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view of post and rail. Y

The same letters of reference indicate correspending parts in all the figures. Referring to the several parts by letter, A A Arepresent the cars which support the dirtreceptacles and the tracks on which the grading-machine proper runs, the said cars being flat platform-cars, on which are rigidly braced and supported the en'd posts, B, which support the ends of the rails H, the central portions of these rails being supported by the movable posts C C, the lower ends' of the braces D of which are provided with the longitudinal slots E, through whichtheretaining-screws Fproject down into the platform of the oar. It will be seen that by this arrangement, when the lower cars, A, are standing on a curve in the track G, on which they run, the rails H may be curved in the arc of a circle to conform to the curvature of the main rails G, and secured' by the retaining-screws F in their adjusted curved centrally upon the platforms of the cars, and

are provided with the outer hinged doors, P, which are connected by chains or ropes Q to an upper series of wiudlasses, R, supported by the central posts, O. These hinged doors are provided with the hinged folding outer portions, S, which are held in their extended positions by the catches T, but which may be folded in and held in their folded positions by the spring-catches U on the outer sides of the doors. The chief object of this construction of the doors is that when the beam is swung down into its lowest position the outer portion, S, of said doors may be folded in out of the way of the beam, as also showny in dotted lines, Fig. 1. The ends of these boxes or dirt-receptacles extend to the ends of the platforms of the cars; but the ends of theirrhiuged doors extend beyond the ends of the platforms and overlap, so

as to prevent any dirt from falling through between them, and beneath these overlapping ends are arranged the -metal plates V, having the longitudinal slots W, through which the end posts, B, of two adjacent cars extend, the" said plates serving to still further prevent any dirt from falling to the ground between the cars.

A represents the fiat platfornrcar which operates the conveyer-belts.

H. Hindicate vertical bearing-posts at each Vside of the platform, which support at their carries the ditching mechanism. Near'one' IOO upper ends the transverse adjustingshafts I', having the hand-wheels J and the central pinions, K', and on these shafts are also pivoted the lower ends of brackets L', in which slide the inner portions of the beams M', the outer ends of which project to each side of the car, and the beams being provided on their lower sides with the racks N', which mesh with the pinions K' on the adj usting-shafts, and it will be seen that the said beams may be adjusted laterally in these brackets, and they are secured in their adjusted positions by means of setscrews O', workingin the upper sides of the brackets.

To-the outer end of each beam is secured one end of an adjusting chain or rope, P', the said ropes passing over grooved pulleys Q in the upper ends of the upwardly-inclined arms R' of the mast S',which is located in the center of the platform, and then over the two pulleysV T', journaled in the top of the mast and having their ends wound around cleats U' on the sides of the mast. It will be seen that by means of these ropes the outer ends of the beams may be raised or lowered, as desired. The outer portion of each beam is provided with the downwardly projecting arms V', which support the stationary portion W' of the conveyer-belt frame and also the pivoted outer end of theadjustable portion of the said frame, the inner endof this pivoted portion being adjustably supportedby the lower ends of arms X', the upper ends of which are journaled upon the ends of a transverse shaft, Z', which slides in a longitudinal slot, A', in the central portion of the beam, and to which are secured the ends of a bracket, B, having the set-screw C', by means of which the bracket may be secured in its adjusted position.' Around the rollers in the ends of the conveyer-belt frames travel the anged conveyerbelts E, the extended end of the roller at the inner end of the conveyer-frame being pro- 'vided with a grooved roller, F2, and the ends of the transverse shafts D are provided with grooved rollers G2, and a cable, H, round in cross-section, passes around 4these end rollers under two grooved guide-rollers, I', journaled to the side of the uprights H' H', and around the grooved rollers F2, by which arrangement the conveyer-belts are rotated by the engine B.

To the outer end of each beam is secured a double-scoop, J", which is formed with the mouths K2, extending in opposite directions, and preferably having their cutting-edges serrated, as shown, tov increase their cutting power, the scoop being further formed with the central partition, L, the inwardly-projecting lips M, by means of which the scoop is secured to the end of the beam, and the curved inwardly-projecting dischargefanges N2, which receive the dirt from both mouths of the scoop andl discharge it upon the llanged conveyer-belt. The scoops are connected to each end of the car by the chains O2, the outer ends of which pass around the windlasscs P at each end of the car, and by this arrangement the scoops may be always held firmly to their work against any strain.

The scoops J2 are moved outward and forced against the banks, right and left from the track, by means ofthe racks, Src., already described. In other words, their curved or convex outer sides (see Fig. 3) are thus caused to strike the earth, and as the grader moves along over the train of platform-cars (which are chained to the track and thus held immovable) the mouths of the scoops, which open in the direction the grader is moving, will necessarily take into and receive the dirt lying in their path. The dirt thus cut by the scoops falls upon the conveyer-belts, which are driven by the engine, as described, and the dirt is conveyed to and falls over the inner end of the belts into the dirt-receptacles, and also upon the slotted plates at the adjacent ends of the cars, which prevent it from falling to the ground between the cars, the overlapping ends of the hinged doors of the dirt receptacles also assisting to prevent the dirt from falling between the .cars upon the ground. As the outer ends of the beams arelowered toward their lowermost point, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1' of the drawings, the brackets l are slid toward the inner end of the slots A', so as to swingl the hinged portions of the conveyerbelt frames at an angle to the stationary por tions thereof, for the purpose of keeping the inner discharge ends of the said belts over the dirt-receptacles. The lower ends of the arms V' projectfdown below the lower portion of the conveyer-belts, and have journaled in them a roller, Q, which supports the lower IOO portion of the conveyer-belts at the properangle when the inner portion of the conveyerframe is adjusted asabove described. When it is desired to discharge the dirt from the Vdirt-receptacles, the upper and lower windt lasses, R N, are turned so as to loosen the chains or ropes M Q, when the weight of the IIO receptacles will cause them to slide out on the rollers K and J into the positionV shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 of the drawings, thereby discharging the dirt.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

1. The combination, with each lower platform-car, of the end rail-supporting posts im-. movably braced upon the said car, and the length of each side of the car and connected to the lower windlasses by chains or ropes, and having the hinged outer'doors provided with the folding outer portions and connected by chains or ropes to the upper windlasses, the said doors extending beyond the ends of the boxes,so as to overlap one another at their ends, as described, and the slotted plates covering and connecting the adjacent ends of the cars, as described, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with the lower platform-cars and rails :supported thereon, of the posts located at the ends of the cars, braces arra'nged betweenv the posts, and rail-sections supported on said braces, all as shown and described.

4. The combination, with the engine, of the transverse shafts driven through suitable belting from the saine and having the grooved end pulleys of the vertically and laterally adjustable beams carrying at their outer ends the double scoops having the central partition and the inward discharge-ange, and the flanged conveyer-aprons supported beneath the said adjustable beams, as described, and driven by beltingfrom the grooved end rollers of the transverse shafts, substantially as set forth.`

5. The combination of the. side supports having at their upper ends the transverse shafts provided with the adjusting hand-wheels and the central pinions, the bracketsv pivoted at their downward ends upon the said adjustingshafts and having the set-screws in their upper sides, the beams sliding in the said brackets and provided on their lower sides with the racksv and carrying at their outer ends the double scoops having the central partitions and the inward discharge-flange, and the supporting-chains secured to the rollers of the central mast and adj ustably secured at their free ends to the sides of the said mast, substantially as described.

7. The herein-described double scoops having the serrated mouths or cutting-edges, the in' wardly-proj ectin g perforated lips, the central partition, and the curved discharge-flange,

substantially as set forth.

' 8. The combinationof the vertically andlaterally adjustable beams having the double scoops at the outer ends, the conveyer-belt frames having the adjustable inner ends, the

iianged conveyer-belts traveling around the said frames, and means, substantially as de` scribed, for rotating the same, the lower platform-cars having the series of larger and smaller rollers journaled in their upper surface, as described, and the movable dirt-re| ceptacles having the hinged doors provided with the folding outer portions, and the chains connecting the body of the receptacles and the hinged doors, respectively, to the upper and lower windlasses supported on the platforms of the cars, all constructed and arranged to operate in the manner and for the purpose shown and set forth.

The above specification of my invention signed by me in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN C. SAGE.

AWitnesses: f

SoLoN C. KEMON, CEAS." A. PETTIT. 

